Nobody would argue that first-party and third-party data are the foundational elements of the digital-media supply chain.Not far behind is the move toward data lakes, where
the input is first-party data from noncompetitive companies, aka second-party data.

Intent is the six-letter word.

Ideally, all parties in the digital-media supply chain
intend to deliver positive outcomes at the fairest, totally transparent price. First, for the marketers that directly or indirectly pay for all links in the chain.

Second, for the agencies
tasked with creating responsive ads and placing them in the most effective, efficient, brand-safe, fraud-free environments to drive optimal brand outcomes.

Right now, many people question
whether the ideal intent, described above, is universally operative in the "chain." The most visible skeptic is P&G's Marc Pritchard, who first articulated his skepticism at IAB's big annual event
on January 29. His call to action to improve intent: Cut the "crap" out of the "chain."

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Trust is the five letter word. And the most important word.

Until full
transparency happens on the following 12 "must haves," there will continue to be mistrust:

1. Know where all ads run.2. Send no money to any site until there is verification that humansvisit that site.3. Pay only for publicly identified domains.4. Make all chain fees transparent.5. Eliminate chain redundancies.6. Prohibit duplicate impressions bidding.7. Require access to both buy and sell side log servers.8. Mandate no audience extension.9. Control all first party data use.10. Target contextually by design not by default.11. Optimize to speed.12. Require that all chain links deliver value, not just cost.

These 12 prescriptives are common sense.

That said, until they become common practice in the
"chain," there misrust will remain.